In November, the bones felt like they were freezing, but December brought an unusual warm spell again.
In this fluctuating weather, Saetbyeol and I set out for a walk without a destination.
“Unni, are we just going to walk like this? Aren’t we going to go into a karaoke or a comic cafe or something?”
I replaced my answer with a brief melody.
“When my heart feels heavy, I walk the streets.”
“Oh, nice song! What’s the title?”
“It’s just a no-title song.”
“Hey, what? Did you make that up?”
A song from a first life that doesn’t exist here.
From the complete memory gained in the second life, strangely, the episodic memories of the first life began to fade quickly.
If the previous life were a huge library, the life before that would be a small poetry book.
The density of life that perceives, learns, and remembers the world felt different, making the first life feel like a midsummer night’s dream.
So remembering the first cycle now is just recalling what I had once reflected on in childhood during the second cycle.
My mother, who left behind a disabled me in a semi-basement single room, the cruel children who pushed my wheelchair down the stairs, the tears I had to cover up when thinking of Sabiston, Harrison, Lipincott, Grant, and the nameless little red book.
I don’t remember these memories directly but rather remember the past version of myself who did.
The song derived from a strange schema fit perfectly for a day like today.
“Getting tipsy on fragrant cocktails.”
“Hmm-hmm-hmm.”
“Oh, suddenly I want a cocktail.”
“See, we can’t! Unni, let’s go in there.”
“Strawberry cafe?”
“It’s not just any strawberry cafe. It’s called Strawberry Princess Cafe.”
Saetbyeol thought that only by paying money would it be considered proper leisure.
The all-pink decor from the wallpaper to the doll decorations welcomed us.
We stopped by the Strawberry Cafe and took pictures at the photo zone.
The pink atmosphere didn’t look like a place that sold cocktails.
While waiting for some appetizing drinks that I ordered, I suddenly had a crazy idea and immediately shared it with Saetbyeol.
“I think it’s too much for healers to wear Swordstopper after level 14. It’s not like they’re patients with a safety negligence syndrome. Rather, with that gold, wearing a Life Necklace and a Robe of Evil would give only a slight difference in defense—150, but you’d get the benefit of mana sustain in an object team fight, what do you think—”
Before I could finish my sentence, thwack!
The fork plunged into the strawberry chiffon cake.
Saetbyeol looked at me as if she was exasperated.
“Stop talking about work when we’re having fun!”
“To you, it’s work!”
“I’ll convey your opinion, but… why are you talking about game stuff while at a strawberry cafe? Doesn’t that seem a bit excessive?”
“Are you the one being overly critical? Then what else should I say in this situation?”
“Alright, let me give you an example; follow my lead. Wow, look at these strawberries! Aren’t they delicious? Our princess should give them a try, aaah!”
Ugh, I might throw up.
She probably doesn’t realize how ridiculous that sounds.
And a princess can’t act out like that, as if she’s missing a screw.
Dining etiquette and social manners are strictly taught from a young age, and on days when receiving overseas guests, one even has to act as a mannequin to avoid messing up their attire.
Maintaining tension and adjusting social flows is part of their job amid a tight schedule and a strict etiquette.
Whether she knows that hardship or not.
I shoved the strawberry that Saetbyeol handed me into my mouth and chewed.
“Did you drink some strawberry milk? Is it tasty?!”
She twisted and wriggled like a snake while trying to be cute.
For mirror therapy, I tilted my head slightly like her.
Then, I exaggeratedly whined in a baby voice.
“Yum-yum. Wow, I want to eat more… Saetbyeol, can you give me one more? Just one…!”
“Whoa! That shocked me!”
“Then how should I react? To me, all cafes look the same, and I can chat about anything here.”
“Please turn your turn signal on while coming in. I’m so flustered right now, my heart is racing!”
“Uh…”
“…?”
“Your strawberry lemon sparkling and strawberry chocolate franobae are here.”
I jumped, startled, and turned around.
Hadn’t a robot been serving just a moment ago?
The waitress appeared, shaking her shoulders while maintaining her expression, but I couldn’t tell when she had shown up.
My face flushed with heat, making my head spin.
I melted down beneath the table like a gelatinous slime.
Suddenly, Saetbyeol burst into laughter, slapping the table repeatedly.
I should have kept my guard up in this room without any doors or curtains—it was my blunder.
I tried to avoid eye contact until the waitress left, but for some reason, the shadow of a woman continued to linger on the floor.
I frowned and sent a distress signal to Saetbyeol.
“Do you have business with Na-me?”
“Ah yes. Could I trouble you to sign one of our store’s frames before you leave? We won’t charge you for the drinks and cake you had today.”
“Eh? Shouldn’t you get the boss’s permission for that?”
“I’m the boss here, so it’s fine!”
“Oh, you’re the boss. Na-me asked the boss to sign. Are you going to do it?”
Nod nod!
“They’ll take a photo with you too.”
“That wasn’t said.”
“They just said it would be free! Are you gonna betray that kindness?”
How cheap to cling onto that kindness.
I straightened my body up again and glanced at the young boss.
“It’s delicious.”
“Heehee, thank you! It’s truly an unforgettable compliment.”
“I hope you forget about it.”
Please.
*
In one community, a post titled ‘NoName’s Recent Updates’ appeared.
There were several photos of Na-me energetically signing for fans at a charming cafe.
[NoName’s Recent Updates]
It seems she went to a strawberry cafe with her sister(?) and the cute voices they were making could be heard over the wall, it nearly split my cheeks with a grin ㅎㅎㅎ
But she looked like she had lost a ton of weight coming in😭 (Really, she probably weighed less than 20 kg.)
I was so worried I asked slightly, and she said that today was practically her first outing since her moderation.
I had many questions, but asking more seemed rude, so I only got her sign and quickly left.
Who are the jerks calling such a girl a scammer? Please don’t bully the gentle and sweet Na-me😭
[Comments]
– That video was a bit shocking.
– Moderation doesn’t mean you have to stay home, why did she do that?
– Writing just one paper can suck all the energy out of you. Eight? That’s divine.
– Trading lifespan for that ㄷㄷ
– How was the sister? I saw rumors flying around in another community.
└ (Poster): I caught a glimpse passing by, she’s an Oriental+Western cat-girl beauty. A mixed-blood vibe for sure. Even without makeup, her skin shines.
– So this is the original postㅋㅋㅋㅋ many media outlets have spread it.
└ The whole world is into Na-me now…
└ Give me the address now!
Along with that, there have also been many posts regarding Na-me’s sister.
Since sharing private information about ordinary people is illegal, it often got buried, but in the case of Saetbyeol, it was unusual.
[If Adella appeared in real life, she’d look exactly like that][42]
I’ve seen tons of Adella cosplays or look-alikes on Instagram and TikTok, but I can confidently say there’s no one more similar.
It’s not the breathtaking beauty like Che-na from before, but an attractively familiar face that keeps spinning in my head.
As a cold beauty, she is endlessly a cold beauty, and as a warm beauty, she is endlessly a warm beauty.
Most of all, her proportion is disproportionately lethal.
Honestly, she could have been scouted by an entertainment agency, I don’t know why she isn’t a celebrity.
[Comments]
– NoName’s sister is said to be a delicate beautiful girl too ㄷㄷ
└ What even is that attributeㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ Now that’s just throwing anything at the wall.
– Isn’t Na-me’s stepdad single? So isn’t her sister also an adopted child?
└ Yep, sounds plausible.
– So does that mean she’s prettier than NoName?
└ Predo-pedo…
└ How are you judging Na-me’s looks when she’s still 9 years old?ㅋㅋㅋ
[In my opinion, the NoName sister theory has the most credibility][36]
Is it a coincidence that a sickly sister is a character destined to die in the game?
When the trauma switch goes on, she probably lost it.
Honestly, despite Adella’s many villainous acts in the story, I’ve always found it hard to understand why Na-me exhibited such obsession.
Her desire to save her sister might have been clearly expressed in her play…
[Comments]
– I criedㅠㅠㅠㅠ
– Um, could it be that the sister also has an incurable disease like multiple sclerosis?
└ Oh…
└ Trying to save in-game and in reality ㄷㄷ
└ Dae Na Me
– I was thinking she might have associated it with her mother who sacrificed herself in the capsule instead of Na-me. If her sister was really sick, that would settle it.
└ It’s just all speculation. We don’t even know if a sister truly exists.
As Na-me faded from view, unfounded rumors and speculations circulated, blending truth and falsehood.
There were some trolls claiming she wasn’t genuinely moderating, enjoying expensive cafes instead, but they no longer held a prominent position in public opinion.
Just when the rumors that had inflated like balloons began to deflate slowly, a tremendous storm hit the still lands of the Republic of Korea.
[Middle Eastern War Hero ‘Yulisis Murphy’ Visits Asan Hospital in Seoul for Eye Reconstruction Treatment]
In the 2020s, the American war hero, renowned as the strongest combat wizard, Yulisis Murphy boarded a flight to Korea.
To recover one of his eyes lost in battle.
